Second Sunday Of Advent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle B
Seasonal Theme
Advent is a time of expectation, anticipation, and preparation for the coming again of Jesus in Bethlehem and in our hearts.
Theme For The Day
The patience of God and the preparation for the coming again of Jesus into our hearts.
Old Testament Lesson
Isaiah 40:1-11
Our Mighty Judge And Tender Shepherd
Up to chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah is full of messages of judgment. But now begins an emphasis on restoration and deliverance. In this chapter we read of God's majesty. The word for comfort in verse 1 literally means "to cause to breathe again." So there is power as well as consolation. God is also promising in these verses that the people's time of trial is almost over.
In verses 3-5 we have "a voice" which was the term for a true prophet. The task was to get the people back into the right relationship with God.
Here is the heart of the passage being read on this day. All four Gospel writers related Isaiah 40:3 to John the Baptist: Matthew 3:1-4; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 1:76-78; and John 1:23. John prepared the way coming out of the desert. In this passage the whole nation was a spiritual wilderness.
In verses 6-8 we have God's voice calling out to Isaiah. Tell them, Isaiah, that people are interim and they change. And because God's word can be trusted, the people will be restored to their land. In verse 10, Isaiah often uses God's arm to refer to God's strength. These two characteristics are often found in this second portion of the book. God's strength and the image of a tender shepherd who carries and leads the weak sheep is a beautiful image of our Advent God warning and loving people. One might translate, today, verse 3 as "roll out the red carpet." While the first part of this passage is judicial, the second part is very conciliatory. From the victor and strong judge we move to the tender shepherd. Nice!
New Testament Lesson
2 Peter 3:8-15a
In The Meantime
Verses 13-15a are key to our Advent theme this Sunday. We are to be occupied in watchful waiting. And for us, according to Peter, there will be nothing to fear; but instead, we will experience joy. So this passage tells us that our God is not in a hurry and we ought to be patient and alert in our waiting for the parousia. I sometimes think Jesus never intended to give the impression that the parousia was very near. Perhaps he has already returned in the coming of the Holy Spirit at that glorious Pentecost. Perhaps instead of morbidly guessing about how and when he will return, this Advent we ought look for him and his kingdom in our midst already returned!
In verse 15a Peter reminds us that salvation is all wrapped up in that truth that our God is patient. Wow! That's a sermon in itself. How patient God has been with us sinners all down through the ages.
The Gospel
Mark 1:1-8
The Proclamation Of John The Baptist
We have here the start of John Mark's Gospel and the beginning of the public ministry of John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus. The facts, as we begin, are these:
1. John is the messenger Isaiah promised would announce the coming of Jesus (v. 2).
2. John's message was to repent and be baptized for forgiveness (v. 4).
3. John lived close to the ground as a desert person (v. 6).
4. John pointed beyond himself to the Messiah (v. 7).
5. Jesus' baptism would be far more spiritual than John's (v. 8).
It may not be wise to make too much of John's diet! Both the words "locust" and "wild honey" can be taken two ways. Locusts can mean the little bugs or a nut, the carob, which the poor often eat. The honey can be from wild bees or a kind of sap from certain trees. The point is only that John ate the diet of the very poor. So here is a humble prophet who pointed to someone beyond himself. It will preach.
Preaching Possibilities
All three readings are meant to connect together today. One way to connect them would be:
1. Isaiah 40:3 "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare....' "
2. 2 Peter 3:13 "We wait (patiently) for a new heaven and a new earth...."
3. Mark 1:3 "Prepare the way of the Lord ... he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (and 8)
We could go with an outline using all three something similar to this:
A. The Old Testament tells us God is patient and we should be also. And it says God is not only our judge but also our loving shepherd.
B. The New Testament: God is patient with us and we should be with God and with each other. And while we wait, we ought strive to be found at peace and without sin. And we ought celebrate that God is very patient with us so we can have salvation.
C. The Gospel: In John we have an example of how we should be while we patiently wait. That is, humble, living a life and speaking a verbiage of truth, and always pointing beyond ourselves to our Savior who was born in Bethlehem.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
John the Baptizer is such a delicious character to describe and his message is so relevant for today that I will go with a character sermon. Here are some suggested moves:
A. Introduction: Describe some brave contemporary people who speak the truth regardless of the risk. Or tell of the advance man who comes ahead of a dignitary.
B. Describe John the Baptist as a great prophet who was advance man for Jesus.
1. The man -- tell about his birth and cousin relationship to younger Jesus.
2. The content -- it had been a long time since the people had heard a prophetic voice from God. Isaiah had promised one who would come and announce the Messiah. John is the man.
3. The message -- There is a need for profound sorrow for our sins. Repent, be baptized. He was believable because he spoke the truth boldly. He pointed to someone beyond himself -- the Christ. He lived a simple life with the people of the land. He was humble and felt unworthy even to be a slave of Jesus.
C. Local application: Talk about what John teaches us about this Advent and our church and community.
1. How might we better prepare the way for Jesus to be born in our hearts and the hearts of others in our community?
2. And what would John renounce today where we live and work and worship and play?
D. Now relate the end of John's life and ministry.
1. He was in prison and sent his disciples to witness Jesus and his ministry first hand.
2. He scolds King Herod for his adultery. He was beheaded by King Herod. See Mark 6:14-29.
E. See if you can come up with three or four resolutions which you can challenge the congregation to carry out as together you seek to make this Advent season a time of preparing for Jesus again.Then close with a prayer to God for help to do them.
Prayer Of The Day
Prepare our hearts, O God, for your birth in them again. And show us the way to prepare others for your arrival this year as well. In the name of the one who was born long ago in Bethlehem and wants to return to be with us again this year. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
We have a routine at our townhouse when special company is coming for a visit. The pieces of carpet which protect the main walking areas are all picked up and put out of sight. Some drawers are stuffed with papers which usually lie out. The old magazines are put into the garage. End tables are dusted. Extra rolls of toilet paper are in place. And we use Windex to clean the patio door, etc. How do we prepare for the coming of the Christ into our homes these weeks before Christmas?
At the seminaries where I have taught it has been the same everywhere. When the Bishop or the Board are coming, the faculty all put on suits and ties. The students wear better clothing. Welcome signs are put in place. And the food is much better in the dining hall. At the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong, I noticed they polished the brass plaques which listed the donors to the school, just before the Parents' Night was held. We prepare in many ways.
Clarence E. Macartney writes: "A man must live," said the world to John the Baptist. But John answered, "No, a man must not live. A man may have to die in order that the true, the high, the spiritual, in him -- the person of God -- shall live." And here on a silver plate is the head of John the Baptist -- to please the whim of a half-naked dancing girl, to satisfy the vengeance of a bad woman! John died, yet in the highest sense John lived -- and lives -- and the mention of his name today is like an army with banners.
In front of the town hall in Prague, one can see a great monument to John Huss who was burned at the stake in 1415 for heresy. Now in that capital city stands his bronze figure. That's the way it is. One generation burns them and the next builds a monument to the martyr's name. I wondered what a monument to John the Baptist would look like. Perhaps a strong man in simple garb, one defiant hand in the air pointing a finger and a second one cradling his own severed hand. He would stand firm like a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders football team.
Charles Coffin wrote the hymn, "The Advent Of Our God." Verse 1 has it: "The Advent of our God shall be our theme for prayer. Come, let us meet him on the road, and place for him prepare" (Lutheran Book of Worship #22).
From the Center for a New American Dream
Americans Seek Simpler Christmas Season
91% of Americans feel holidays are too commercial and the idea of peace on earth has been forgotten by too many people.
27% feel pressured to have a more elaborate or expensive holiday than they'd like.
39% would save money or pay off debts if they didn't feel pressured to give gifts; 35% would give gifts anyway.
58% buy fewer gifts or otherwise have simpler holiday celebrations than three years ago.
33% of those who have simplified the holidays did so to have a celebration more in keeping with their family values; 12% did it to reduce stress; and 11% did it to have more time with friends and family.
Advent is a time of expectation, anticipation, and preparation for the coming again of Jesus in Bethlehem and in our hearts.
Theme For The Day
The patience of God and the preparation for the coming again of Jesus into our hearts.
Old Testament Lesson
Isaiah 40:1-11
Our Mighty Judge And Tender Shepherd
Up to chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah is full of messages of judgment. But now begins an emphasis on restoration and deliverance. In this chapter we read of God's majesty. The word for comfort in verse 1 literally means "to cause to breathe again." So there is power as well as consolation. God is also promising in these verses that the people's time of trial is almost over.
In verses 3-5 we have "a voice" which was the term for a true prophet. The task was to get the people back into the right relationship with God.
Here is the heart of the passage being read on this day. All four Gospel writers related Isaiah 40:3 to John the Baptist: Matthew 3:1-4; Mark 1:1-4; Luke 1:76-78; and John 1:23. John prepared the way coming out of the desert. In this passage the whole nation was a spiritual wilderness.
In verses 6-8 we have God's voice calling out to Isaiah. Tell them, Isaiah, that people are interim and they change. And because God's word can be trusted, the people will be restored to their land. In verse 10, Isaiah often uses God's arm to refer to God's strength. These two characteristics are often found in this second portion of the book. God's strength and the image of a tender shepherd who carries and leads the weak sheep is a beautiful image of our Advent God warning and loving people. One might translate, today, verse 3 as "roll out the red carpet." While the first part of this passage is judicial, the second part is very conciliatory. From the victor and strong judge we move to the tender shepherd. Nice!
New Testament Lesson
2 Peter 3:8-15a
In The Meantime
Verses 13-15a are key to our Advent theme this Sunday. We are to be occupied in watchful waiting. And for us, according to Peter, there will be nothing to fear; but instead, we will experience joy. So this passage tells us that our God is not in a hurry and we ought to be patient and alert in our waiting for the parousia. I sometimes think Jesus never intended to give the impression that the parousia was very near. Perhaps he has already returned in the coming of the Holy Spirit at that glorious Pentecost. Perhaps instead of morbidly guessing about how and when he will return, this Advent we ought look for him and his kingdom in our midst already returned!
In verse 15a Peter reminds us that salvation is all wrapped up in that truth that our God is patient. Wow! That's a sermon in itself. How patient God has been with us sinners all down through the ages.
The Gospel
Mark 1:1-8
The Proclamation Of John The Baptist
We have here the start of John Mark's Gospel and the beginning of the public ministry of John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus. The facts, as we begin, are these:
1. John is the messenger Isaiah promised would announce the coming of Jesus (v. 2).
2. John's message was to repent and be baptized for forgiveness (v. 4).
3. John lived close to the ground as a desert person (v. 6).
4. John pointed beyond himself to the Messiah (v. 7).
5. Jesus' baptism would be far more spiritual than John's (v. 8).
It may not be wise to make too much of John's diet! Both the words "locust" and "wild honey" can be taken two ways. Locusts can mean the little bugs or a nut, the carob, which the poor often eat. The honey can be from wild bees or a kind of sap from certain trees. The point is only that John ate the diet of the very poor. So here is a humble prophet who pointed to someone beyond himself. It will preach.
Preaching Possibilities
All three readings are meant to connect together today. One way to connect them would be:
1. Isaiah 40:3 "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare....' "
2. 2 Peter 3:13 "We wait (patiently) for a new heaven and a new earth...."
3. Mark 1:3 "Prepare the way of the Lord ... he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (and 8)
We could go with an outline using all three something similar to this:
A. The Old Testament tells us God is patient and we should be also. And it says God is not only our judge but also our loving shepherd.
B. The New Testament: God is patient with us and we should be with God and with each other. And while we wait, we ought strive to be found at peace and without sin. And we ought celebrate that God is very patient with us so we can have salvation.
C. The Gospel: In John we have an example of how we should be while we patiently wait. That is, humble, living a life and speaking a verbiage of truth, and always pointing beyond ourselves to our Savior who was born in Bethlehem.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
John the Baptizer is such a delicious character to describe and his message is so relevant for today that I will go with a character sermon. Here are some suggested moves:
A. Introduction: Describe some brave contemporary people who speak the truth regardless of the risk. Or tell of the advance man who comes ahead of a dignitary.
B. Describe John the Baptist as a great prophet who was advance man for Jesus.
1. The man -- tell about his birth and cousin relationship to younger Jesus.
2. The content -- it had been a long time since the people had heard a prophetic voice from God. Isaiah had promised one who would come and announce the Messiah. John is the man.
3. The message -- There is a need for profound sorrow for our sins. Repent, be baptized. He was believable because he spoke the truth boldly. He pointed to someone beyond himself -- the Christ. He lived a simple life with the people of the land. He was humble and felt unworthy even to be a slave of Jesus.
C. Local application: Talk about what John teaches us about this Advent and our church and community.
1. How might we better prepare the way for Jesus to be born in our hearts and the hearts of others in our community?
2. And what would John renounce today where we live and work and worship and play?
D. Now relate the end of John's life and ministry.
1. He was in prison and sent his disciples to witness Jesus and his ministry first hand.
2. He scolds King Herod for his adultery. He was beheaded by King Herod. See Mark 6:14-29.
E. See if you can come up with three or four resolutions which you can challenge the congregation to carry out as together you seek to make this Advent season a time of preparing for Jesus again.Then close with a prayer to God for help to do them.
Prayer Of The Day
Prepare our hearts, O God, for your birth in them again. And show us the way to prepare others for your arrival this year as well. In the name of the one who was born long ago in Bethlehem and wants to return to be with us again this year. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
We have a routine at our townhouse when special company is coming for a visit. The pieces of carpet which protect the main walking areas are all picked up and put out of sight. Some drawers are stuffed with papers which usually lie out. The old magazines are put into the garage. End tables are dusted. Extra rolls of toilet paper are in place. And we use Windex to clean the patio door, etc. How do we prepare for the coming of the Christ into our homes these weeks before Christmas?
At the seminaries where I have taught it has been the same everywhere. When the Bishop or the Board are coming, the faculty all put on suits and ties. The students wear better clothing. Welcome signs are put in place. And the food is much better in the dining hall. At the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong, I noticed they polished the brass plaques which listed the donors to the school, just before the Parents' Night was held. We prepare in many ways.
Clarence E. Macartney writes: "A man must live," said the world to John the Baptist. But John answered, "No, a man must not live. A man may have to die in order that the true, the high, the spiritual, in him -- the person of God -- shall live." And here on a silver plate is the head of John the Baptist -- to please the whim of a half-naked dancing girl, to satisfy the vengeance of a bad woman! John died, yet in the highest sense John lived -- and lives -- and the mention of his name today is like an army with banners.
In front of the town hall in Prague, one can see a great monument to John Huss who was burned at the stake in 1415 for heresy. Now in that capital city stands his bronze figure. That's the way it is. One generation burns them and the next builds a monument to the martyr's name. I wondered what a monument to John the Baptist would look like. Perhaps a strong man in simple garb, one defiant hand in the air pointing a finger and a second one cradling his own severed hand. He would stand firm like a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders football team.
Charles Coffin wrote the hymn, "The Advent Of Our God." Verse 1 has it: "The Advent of our God shall be our theme for prayer. Come, let us meet him on the road, and place for him prepare" (Lutheran Book of Worship #22).
From the Center for a New American Dream
Americans Seek Simpler Christmas Season
91% of Americans feel holidays are too commercial and the idea of peace on earth has been forgotten by too many people.
27% feel pressured to have a more elaborate or expensive holiday than they'd like.
39% would save money or pay off debts if they didn't feel pressured to give gifts; 35% would give gifts anyway.
58% buy fewer gifts or otherwise have simpler holiday celebrations than three years ago.
33% of those who have simplified the holidays did so to have a celebration more in keeping with their family values; 12% did it to reduce stress; and 11% did it to have more time with friends and family.
